i84 the living animals OF THE WORLD 
of their amalgamation is precisely reversed. In either case these feet subserve, as in parrots 
and other perching-birds, as most effective organs for maintaining a close grip upon the tree- 
branches among which they habitually live. The tail of the chamaeleon is, finally, highly 
prehensile, and, as with the New World monkeys, constitutes a veritable fifth hand, wherewith 
to ensure it against falling off its peich. 
The colour-changing properties of the chamaeleon have been the subject of enthusiastic 
but in many instances exaggerated descriptions from the earliest times. As a matter of fact 
there are other lizard species which share this kaleidoscopic property to an equal or even 
greater degree. The Indian tree-geckos, referred to on a previous page, as also the calotes 
from the same region, are cases in point. Chamaeleons are undoubtedly possessed of marvellous 
colour-changing faculties, and it would appear to be scarcely in all instances, as is more 
usually represented, a case of adapting themselves to the tints of their environment. The 
assumption of leaf-green, grey, brown, reddish, or yellowish tints, in accordance with their 
surroundings, is the ordinary record. Some examples which formed the subjects of the writer’s 
experiments exhibited, however, interesting deviations from the beaten track. Male individuals, 
in particular, were observed to assume tints and decorative patterns that rendered them 
remarkably conspicuous objects, in spite of their leafy environment. The normal ground- 
colour of these specimens in 
full daylight was so dark a 
green that it might be almost 
characterised as black. Upon 
this were superimposed lines 
and spottings of strongly con- 
trasting tints The more 
dominant of these was a bril- 
liant orange, that was distri- 
buted in bold lines along 
the head and cheeks, and 
formed a radiating pattern on 
the skin-covered eye-cones. 
The same colour formed some- 
what broken-up bars across 
all four limbs, and was dis- 
persed in bold spots over the 
entire remaining body-sur- 
face: along the tail these spots were concentrated in threes, giving it a semi-barred appearance. 
All among these orange limb- and body-spottings were distributed a secondary series of 
somewhat smaller spots, the tint of which was a pale but very brilliant emerald-green. This 
chamaeleon asleep at night was a very different animal. The ground-colour was transformed 
from almost black to a bright grass-green. The orange lines became lighter in colour and 
broken up into patches ; many of the orange spots on the body disappeared, but those remaining 
were of larger size and concentrated in threes in two lines along each side, these triple spots 
enclosing centrally a larger elongated spot or patch of bright pink or puce. The bright 
emerald-green secondary spots, as seen in daylight, were almost white. If handled during the 
daytime, the chamaeleon was wont to assume a colour nearly identical with his night garb; 
the two lines of pink patches, previously invisible, would appear, and, while the orange spotting 
remained constant, the emerald-green changed to lemon-yellow. 
A chamaeleon in a rage is a decidedly grotesque object. The back is arched, the body 
and more especially the throat-pouch are inflated to their fullest extent, the mouth is opened, 
the eyes roll, and the creature rocks itself to and fro and hisses in a most threatening manner. 
When, as often happens, it also simultaneously sits up on its haunches, the effect is doubtless 
as terrifying as it is intended to be to a rival chamceleon or any small animal which may 
photo by If'. Savi le-Kent^ F.Z.S, 
COMMON CHAMv^;LEON of south EUROPE AND 
NOREH AFRICA 
^ minute or more n often occupied by the chameleon in making a single for’zvard step 
